Over 8,000 displaced due to flooding in Ethiopia's South Omo region
The flooding began on Sunday, affecting five kebeles around Omorate town.
More than 8,000 people have been displaced by flooding caused by the overflow of Lake Turkana and the Omo River in Dasenech district, South Omo Zone of the South Ethiopia Region, according to Umer Nakuwe, Deputy Administrator of the district and Head of the Peace and Security Administration Office.
Speaking to Addis Standard, Umer said the flooding began on Sunday, affecting five kebeles around Omorate town. He said the displaced residents “are currently sheltered in a highland area known as Bufbuf.”
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Umer recalled that in previous years, the Omo River “used to overflow only once a year,” but since 2020, “it has been overflowing up to three times annually,” changing its course and causing repeated disasters. He attributed the increased flooding in part to the area’s fertile soil, which he said “creates favourable conditions for water to spread.”
“If this continues,” Umer warned, “Omorate town is at risk of being completely submerged.” He added that local authorities are undertaking what he described as “pre-disaster prevention work,” including the construction of earth dams.
A resident of the area, who requested anonymity, told Addis Standard that the current flooding is part of a pattern. “This kind of disaster happens frequently,” the resident said, recalling that “a major flood occurred four years ago,” but the latest incident has “submerged nine kebeles, including areas that were previously not considered disaster-prone.”
“The Omo and Turkana rivers overflowed, forcing the water to change direction,” the resident explained, adding that “more than 20,000 people have now been displaced, abandoning their homes and property.”
He noted that “the land here is fertile,” which they said contributes to both “flooding and land cracking.” The resident said the displaced are now staying in Bufbuf and urged authorities to provide “urgent assistance and support.”
Another resident, also speaking anonymously, said the disaster is expanding rapidly and affecting communities that had previously avoided similar incidents. “There are 40 kebeles in Dasenech,” he said, “and the flooding has now reached nine kebeles that were untouched in past events.”
According to the resident, many of the affected people had already been displaced by previous floods and had been resettled in temporary shelter areas. “They left everything behind again on 02 June,” the resident said, and are now waiting for “urgent assistance at their new shelter location.”
The resident also reported that land cracking is now visible, and said “people are deeply worried as the water approaches Omorate.”
Umer confirmed that regional authorities have been informed of the situation. “We have reported the need for urgent support to the regional disaster risk office,” he said, and urged actors “from the zonal to the federal level” to intervene.
The displacement by flooding is the latest to impact a community that is already reeling from conflict-related crises.
On March 22, 2025, an armed clash in Kukruk Kebele, the Dasenech District, resulted in the deaths of four Ethiopians and injuries to three others. Local residents and officials attributed the attack to armed militants from Kenya’s Turkana County. According to a witness, 11 Ethiopian youths on a reconnaissance mission were ambushed and outnumbered by the attackers. One Turkana elder was also reportedly killed.
Dasenech District official Mesay Leben confirmed the casualties and noted that the wounded were receiving treatment. The following day, another group from Turkana allegedly attempted to steal livestock in nearby Goro Kebele but were repelled by the local community, resulting in the death of one attacker.
This incident is part of a pattern of cross-border violence in the area, including a previous attack on 23 February 23, which left at least 13 people dead.
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